SOOOOORRRY. We've taken forever to update, so I'm going to skip the reader
reviews this chapter. But thank you all SO much for reading. We really do
appreciate all the reviews you've sent us!!
And of course we could never skip our Jack quote. "And really bad eggs. Drink up, me 'arties yo ho."
*
Halfway down the path toward town, Will was met with Norrington. "Why do all pregnant women believe that they MUST have whatever it is that they want, even if it is something completely inane?"
The man shrugged. "Having never been a woman, nor married to one, I can safely say that I have no idea."
Laughing as he continued to walk, Will remembered the day when Norrington had ceased being "The idiot cow who can go fuck a goat," and had become something akin to a friend.
*Flashback*
The knock on their door was insistent, pulling Will away from the table at a dead run. Ever since Captain Jack had departed with their son (and daughter-in-law) in tow, every knock was followed by a horrible tightness in their stomachs.
"Commodore Norrington?! Is everything alright?"
There was something different about the man all of the sudden, but Will had no idea what it was.
"All charges against Captain Sparrow and the crew of the Black Pearl have been dropped by the Crown." Without another word, the man turned to leave.
Elizabeth, who had followed her husband to the door, yelled out, "Stop! Commodore, why?"
"They believe he is dead. He's not, by the way."
"Why do they believe that?"
"Because I told them so."
*
He had joined them for supper that night, and many to follow. He had quickly ceased to be, "Commodore" and had become "Ned" instead. And that is why, on this particularly hot Caribbean day, the Commodore and the Blacksmith were on their way to market.
"I don't s'pose you've heard any news of the Black Pearl recently?" Will asked hopefully.
Norrington looked at him. "No. Why?"
Will sighed. "Elizabeth's been driving herself mad with worry. I only hope they're alright."
*
What they didn't know was that Jack was only a day's sail away, in a bar in Tortuga. Jade had pestered her father into stopping there, hoping to speak with Anamaria. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to be anywhere about.
Jade joined her husband at a table, carrying two pints of rum. "I'd hoped she'd be here," the girl said. "Might cheer up my father."
"I wouldn't worry about him," Jack assured her. "He seems quite cheerful to me." He cast a weary eye at the captain, who was talking to a pot.
"Drunk," Jade corrected without looking. "There's a difference." She sighed. "Well, I suppose we should get going before the rest of the crew get too drunk to sail."
Jack nodded. "I would like to get back to Port Royal as soon as possible."
Jade downed her drink, standing up on the table. "Any crew members of the Black Pearl, get your bloody arses back on the ship NOW! Or I'll have you keelhauled and deposit you in England!"
There was a scrambled rush of activity as the various crew members jumped up, knowing she meant it. England was hardly their first choice to go when they were all very very, very very very wanted.
Sighing, Jade went over to her father, hoping to drag him away from the pot. "Come along now, Daddy. It's time for us to be going."
"But I'm in the middle of a conversation with Mrs. Nesbitt here," he insisted.
Jade rolled her eyes. "Yes, and I'm sure it was a positively DELIGHTFUL conversation as well. But wouldn't you like to see Will and Elizabeth too?"
Jack considered this, and then got up, calling good-bye to the pot over his shoulder.
*
Once they returned to the Pearl, Jack returned to normal (or as normal as Jack ever gets), barking orders to all the crew.
"Anamaria, take the helm," he ordered, turning away. Everyone stopped and stared. Jack slowly paused and turned on his heel. "Anamaria?"
"Yes?"
"Were you with us for the whole winter?"
Anamaria stared at him, in awe that any one person could miss that much. "No."
Jack's broad grin returned. "Oh good. It wasn't just the rum then." With that he walked away, leaving Anamaria to give out orders.
And of course we could never skip our Jack quote. "And really bad eggs. Drink up, me 'arties yo ho."
*
Halfway down the path toward town, Will was met with Norrington. "Why do all pregnant women believe that they MUST have whatever it is that they want, even if it is something completely inane?"
The man shrugged. "Having never been a woman, nor married to one, I can safely say that I have no idea."
Laughing as he continued to walk, Will remembered the day when Norrington had ceased being "The idiot cow who can go fuck a goat," and had become something akin to a friend.
*Flashback*
The knock on their door was insistent, pulling Will away from the table at a dead run. Ever since Captain Jack had departed with their son (and daughter-in-law) in tow, every knock was followed by a horrible tightness in their stomachs.
"Commodore Norrington?! Is everything alright?"
There was something different about the man all of the sudden, but Will had no idea what it was.
"All charges against Captain Sparrow and the crew of the Black Pearl have been dropped by the Crown." Without another word, the man turned to leave.
Elizabeth, who had followed her husband to the door, yelled out, "Stop! Commodore, why?"
"They believe he is dead. He's not, by the way."
"Why do they believe that?"
"Because I told them so."
*
He had joined them for supper that night, and many to follow. He had quickly ceased to be, "Commodore" and had become "Ned" instead. And that is why, on this particularly hot Caribbean day, the Commodore and the Blacksmith were on their way to market.
"I don't s'pose you've heard any news of the Black Pearl recently?" Will asked hopefully.
Norrington looked at him. "No. Why?"
Will sighed. "Elizabeth's been driving herself mad with worry. I only hope they're alright."
*
What they didn't know was that Jack was only a day's sail away, in a bar in Tortuga. Jade had pestered her father into stopping there, hoping to speak with Anamaria. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to be anywhere about.
Jade joined her husband at a table, carrying two pints of rum. "I'd hoped she'd be here," the girl said. "Might cheer up my father."
"I wouldn't worry about him," Jack assured her. "He seems quite cheerful to me." He cast a weary eye at the captain, who was talking to a pot.
"Drunk," Jade corrected without looking. "There's a difference." She sighed. "Well, I suppose we should get going before the rest of the crew get too drunk to sail."
Jack nodded. "I would like to get back to Port Royal as soon as possible."
Jade downed her drink, standing up on the table. "Any crew members of the Black Pearl, get your bloody arses back on the ship NOW! Or I'll have you keelhauled and deposit you in England!"
There was a scrambled rush of activity as the various crew members jumped up, knowing she meant it. England was hardly their first choice to go when they were all very very, very very very wanted.
Sighing, Jade went over to her father, hoping to drag him away from the pot. "Come along now, Daddy. It's time for us to be going."
"But I'm in the middle of a conversation with Mrs. Nesbitt here," he insisted.
Jade rolled her eyes. "Yes, and I'm sure it was a positively DELIGHTFUL conversation as well. But wouldn't you like to see Will and Elizabeth too?"
Jack considered this, and then got up, calling good-bye to the pot over his shoulder.
*
Once they returned to the Pearl, Jack returned to normal (or as normal as Jack ever gets), barking orders to all the crew.
"Anamaria, take the helm," he ordered, turning away. Everyone stopped and stared. Jack slowly paused and turned on his heel. "Anamaria?"
"Yes?"
"Were you with us for the whole winter?"
Anamaria stared at him, in awe that any one person could miss that much. "No."
Jack's broad grin returned. "Oh good. It wasn't just the rum then." With that he walked away, leaving Anamaria to give out orders.